Moistening device



Hl E. DELBARE.

MOISTENING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED APRA, |920.

Patented Oct. 26', 1920.

Zwei-770 rn' UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

HECTOR E. DELBARE, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOISTENING DEVICE.

Application' area April 1.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, Hnc'ron E. DELBARE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Oook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and use` ful Improvements in Moistening Devices, ofwhich the following is a speciication.

The invention relates toimprovements in moistening devices.

One 'of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved devicefor moistening postage stamps, the gummed flaps of envelops, and thelike.

Another object is to provide a convenient structure from which themoistening liquid will not escape when the device is resting on asupport, such as a table, or the like, and not in use.

Another object is to provide adevice from which the moistening liquidwill continue to be uniformly fed or distributed after long protracteduse.

Another object is to provide a counter` weight which serves as a handlefor the moistener and also as a closure for the water container. v

Another object is to provide an improved wick holder within the liquidcontainerl and an improved form of wick.

Other, further and more specific objects of the invention will becomereadily apparent, to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration ofthe following description, when taken in conjunction with the drawings,rwherein Figure l is a side elevation of the device as it rests upon atable.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section thereof.

Fig. 3 is a similar section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicatesimilar parts.

One of the advantages obtained by the device disclosed herein is theuniform distribution of water over the surfaces to bc dampened. Toprovide a structure that will not Hood the surfaces when in use andwhich will not dry out when not in use is a problem which has beensolved by the aforesaid device.

In the structure illustrated herein 5 is a pear-shaped water containingcasing having a rectangular wick holder extending t0 a point 7 near thebottom of the casing and outwardly to a point 8, containing a wick 9,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 26, 19.20.

1920. serial No. 370,543.

which projects from the end 8, as at 10. The lower end of the wick 9 iscut away to form a notch 11, to provide a larger free surface forcontact with the water. The casing 5 is provided with a hollow threadedhub 12 through which the casing may be filled with water, and acounter-weight 13 is threaded into the hub, as at 14, to close theopening therein, and to operate as a handle for the application of thedevice. The counterweight 13 is of such a character that it will holdthe device in the inclined position shown in Fig. 2, when it rests uponan even plane, such as the top of a table, or the like. By observingline 15, it will be seen that the water level in the casing 5, when thelatter is full, is below the point 8 of the wick holder, so that thewater, as a result of this cannot run out of the lower edge of the wickholder, as at 8, and while the wick will be saturated with water, itwill not drip out at this point, because of the larger or greater lengthof wick below the point 8 than above it, there being no siphoning actionwhile at the same time the capillary effect is sufficient to keep theend l0 of the wick always moist and, when the device is bodily inverted,so that the surface 10 of the wick will be brought into contact with thesurfaces to be moistened, the water in the casing 5 will be below theend 7 of the wick holder so that the water will run out of the end lO,will be supplied by that contained in the notch 11 between the wick andthe holder and to supplement the effect of thisq I provide a hole 16made through the wall of the holder 6,

so that the v-.iater in the smaller end 17 of the casing will enter thishole and pass through the wick to the end 10 to supply the water afterlong protracted use of the device.

The casing 5 is of such configuration, or form, that the counter-weight13 will hold it in the position shown in Fig. 2, the center of claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters o Patent is z- 1. A moisteningdevice having in combination a round pear-shaped casing provided with athreaded filling opening'in its larger, base end; a wick holder,projecting from the smaller end of the easing and extending therein nearto the bottom end thereof; a ball, having a threaded part for insertionin the filling opening of the casing, serving as a handle and as acounter-weight whereby to maintain the outer end of the wick holderabove the water level of the casing when the latter is substantiallyfull of water.

2. A moistening device having in combination, a round pear-shapedcasing, providing a hollow threadedq filling hub in its larger, baseend; a rectangular wick holder, for a flat wick, projecting from thesmaller end of the easing, and extending therein near to the bottom endthereof and having a hole in its Wall inside the easing near its outerend; a ball, having a threaded part for insertion in the filling openingof the easing, serving as a handle and as a counterweight whereby tomaintain water level above the hole in the outer end of the wiekholderin any position of rest of the casing when the latter is Substantiallyfull of water.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name.

HECTOR E. DELBARE.

